Rex Stout's novella Black Orchids has a bit of everything from his classic books. The setup - Nero Wolfe hears about certain black colored orchids that are featured at the New York City flower show. The progression - he sends Archie Goodwin to scout them out and report back. He then must see these amazing plants for himself. The death - was at the flower show. One of the people who was featured in a grower's display is killed while Wolfe and Archie are there. It happened in front of an audience. The dame - happens to be the other person featured in the display. The victim - was a blackmailer. There were a few people who would not mind seeing him dead. The mystery - can Wolfe figure it out? Of course he can. But the real question may be: will Wolfe end up with the black orchids?
One has to love the way Stout aptly mixes snappy dialog, clues and characters into one lively story. I really loved the way he planned the murder at the flower show - having just been to one - it was pretty perfect. A very fun read.
Flowers and bee
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